Rides, Clowns, Family Time, Oh My!
by blondie60669
Summary: When George and Nora spring a surprise Carnival trip on the family, there not so excited. Until they each find ways to lighten their sprits. Rated for Future Chapters.
1. Weekends to Come

Chapter 1: Weekends to Come

Casey McDonald always hated Fridays. It always put a damper on her spirits. I mean who said you had to be given off two days of school a week. Not that she minded the weekend... it was a kind of sanctuary. And she very much enjoyed her weekend. The problem was that she would get in a school drive by Tuesday, and wouldn't want to stop. It was just her way of living. Wake up, bathe, go to school, come home, do homework, study for any tests, read, and then fall asleep. Some nights she didn't even go to dinner she was too wrapped up in her studies.

For Derek however Fridays were what he lived for. Usually he could catch old hockey re-runs late at night, while enjoying a large pizza all to himself. Even if Edwin begged for a piece, since he paid after all, Derek would wave his hand at him in a 'go away' kind of motion. He loved Fridays because those were the days he could stay up all night plotting ways to annoy Casey in the morning. Or find a way to fill up his weekend with nearly pointless activities so that he only had the chance to enjoy one make out session with his 'catch of the week.'

Lizzie McDonald was quite different from her two eldest siblings. Or step as they would constantly correct her, in a fashion that simply stated they didn't want to be affiliated with the other in any way, besides being enemies. She wanted her weekend to be filled with soccer practices, long walks, books that kept her interest, and fooling around with her step brother Edwin.

He enjoyed his weekends to be full packed with ways of inventing new schemes for money, video games, loud music, and the company of his favorite person. Even if Edwin wouldn't admit it himself weeks were kind of a drag except for those few shared classes they enjoyed together. Often passing notes, or just outright muttering to each other in the back row. Not to the pleasure of their teachers however. He couldn't count how many times the two of them would be sent to the office only to endure a good talking to by the principle, which was too warped up in his action figurines.

And Marti, the youngest of this five some and by far the more imaginative wanted something to come from her weekend. She didn't want to have to listen to the arguments of her two eldest siblings over whose turn it was to use the hot water in the shower. And definitely didn't enjoy hearing the two middle siblings giggle and flirt with each other in a not-so-sisterly-brotherly-affection kind of way. Although she did find fun in the short dinners where either Casey and Derek for once were to warped up in their food to argue, and Edwin and Lizzie were free to play footsie under the table without the notice of her family. Still she wanted more. She wanted fun.


	2. You're Kidding Right?

Chapter 2: Your Kidding, Right?

"No, Derek!" Casey refused pushing open the back door of the house. She frowned at the laundry room which was still full of Derek's hockey equipment, since he thought he was too precious to carry them back to his room. He followed behind her, tossing his book bag onto a pile of smelly socks. No doubt Edwin's.

"I really think you should give him a chance." Derek insisted following her into the kitchen.

"For the last time I will not go out with Ralph!" Casey nearly shouted, turning on him only to find him stumble to a stop lifting his eyebrows suggestively. She rose hers challenging him to continue. They heard an angry sigh from the couch, but neither of them turned, too busy with their stare down.

"And why not?" He asked, finally looking away to plop down onto his chair and in turn look at her expectantly.

"Because," She said simply shrugging before continuing. "He can barely count to ten." With that she turned, making sure her brown hair flipped in just the right way, before marching up the stairs.

"Well isn't she a piece of work." Derek mumbled reaching for the remote only to find it already in Marti's hand. She was lounged on the couch, a frown furrowing her small features. "Can I have that Smarti?"

"No." She answered, flipping her hair in a mocking of Casey before turning on the tv to a cartoon.

"I said please." He persisted, standing up and kneeling next to the couch. Marti had to turn her head so she didn't have to look at his face.

"No you didn't." She corrected finally looking at him. He gave her a small smile, and a wink. She giggled handing him the remote and winking back.

"Thank you." He replied turning to a more manly station.

The front door opened loudly, and two kids entered. The same in height seemingly discussing something that had just happened. Derek coughed loudly to warn them that he was there and watching tv. Still they ignored him, too engrossed in their conversation to notice him.

"No Liz, it was like the fifth time." Edwin continued, nodding at her in a know-it-all fashion. She frowned before saying something.

"Are you sure?"

"Nearly positive." He reassured her, as he took off his cheap imitation at a leather jacket. He had begged Derek to let him keep his old one, but Derek still had a few years left in it, there were two many memories of precious make outs. So Edwin finally gave up and bought his own.

"Well that's not good enough; you have to be completely sure." Lizzie replied smiling teasingly as her best friend. He smirked back before they were interrupted by a loud hacking.

"Could you guys, like take your conversation somewhere besides here." Derek asked rudely, turning up the tv as loud as the volume would allow.

"Don't be mean Derek." Casey reprimanded coming down the stairs, a book in arms. She smiled in greetings at Lizzie and Edwin before continuing into the kitchen.

"I can if I want to." He shouted after her, turning the tv down. "What were you two talking about anyway?" Derek looked briefly at his younger siblings, only to see them wide eyed and staring at each other in a guilty way.

"Oh, nothing important." Edwin attempted to shrug it off, only to receive a glare from Derek.

"You can't lie to the master." He responded turning back to the tv. "Besides I'll just find out from Casey once Lizzie spills the news to her."

"I don't tell her everything you know." Lizzie snapped, making an attempt at smacking him on the back of the head but being too quick for her she just got air.

"Uh, yeah you do." Casey came from the kitchen, a bottle of apple soda in hand. "And Liz you know I would never tell Derek anything that we talk about."

"Yeah, but what about that one time with her boyfriend?" Derek piped in, smirking at her.

"Or when you couldn't help shouting the good news that Lizzie was finally a woman?" Edwin replied, frowning in thought.

"Hmm," Marti started to nod opening her mouth to add on.

"Those were different." Casey cut in, after gaping like a fish at her family. "They were special."

"Were not!" Lizzie disagreed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Whatever." She mumbled plopping down next to Marti on the couch. She opened her book to where a page was bent at the corner and began to read. Her nose scrunching up at certain parts.

Derek shrugged, turning the tv up again and going back to his women's volley ball game. Lizzie and Edwin smiled secretly at each other before rushing up the stairs, a door slamming in there wake. Marti, who was generally confused about this interaction, stared at Casey expectantly. As if willing her with her small mind to answer her questions.

"What was that about?" She finally asked. Casey looked up at her, brows furrowed in confusion.

"What was what about?" She asked.

"With Lizzie and Edwin?" Marti clarified rolling her eyes in exaggeration.

"No idea." Casey shrugged, returning to her book. An angry sigh escaped Marti's lips, but it went unnoticed by the other two in the room.

The front door opened for the second time in the last ten minutes, a groan was heard from Derek as the parentals entered through it; shrugging off their coats. Casey looked up briefly from her book, smiling at them, before returning to its small printed pages.

"Where are Lizzie and Edwin?" George asked, smiling at his family as he entered the archway into the living room.

"Upstairs." Casey answered, without looking up.

"Can someone go get them?" Nora urged, her smile growing to a broad grin when Marti got up and bounded towards the stairs, skipping them up as quickly as her little legs would allow.

"Oh god, don't tell me there's going to be a family meeting." Derek's eyes were glued to the screen even though he was clearly talking to George and Nora.

"Actually, yes." George frowned at his eldest son, before snatching the remote away and turning the tv off. "Now go sit at the table."

Casey snorted from her seat only to be reprimanded by Nora, who too took away what the young woman was doing. "You too."

"What?" Casey argued reaching for her book. Nora held it just out of reach pointing towards the dining table. She grudgingly stood up and plopped down in her normal seat across from Derek. He made a face at her, which she gladly returned.

"What's up?" Edwin's voice came as he leaped the last three steps onto the floor. Upon noticing where Casey and Derek were seated her let out a small "oh" and followed their lead. Lizzie and Marti were shortly behind him, and seated themselves in the appropriate seats.

Once all the kids were seated, George and Nora stood at the head of the table, beaming down at their children. George placed his arm around Nora hesitantly only to be encouraged by her smile. "We have an announcement." Her voice was clear, and bursting with excitement.

"Which is?" Lizzie waved her hand in an encouraging motion, urging them to continue.

"We just got tickets to Louie's Carnival in Toronto." George replied, pulling something from his pocket. In his hands were seven tickets each labeled with cartoon script.

"Whoopee!" Edwin's voice was dripping with sarcasm as he said this, his smile clearly screaming that he was too old for carnivals.

"You're kidding right?" Was Lizzie's response as she eyed the tickets wearily.

"When are we going?" Derek asked, his mind reeling.

"Tomorrow." Nora answered, clapping her hands together.

"Oh well it seems I'm busy." He lied easily, shrugging innocently.

"Naha Derek, you're not getting out of this one." George scowled tossing the tickets onto the table. They slid in front of Marti whose brown eyes grew glassy as she stared at there paper surface.

"C'mon Dad," Derek started. "I am way too old to go to a carnival. I mean the squirts, yeah, and I mean Casey just loves feel good family moments. But me, you've got to be pranking."

"No Derek, I'm not." George ground out, his teeth clenching. "It's time this family spent more time together. And less alone doing everyone's own thing. You _are_ going."

Derek rolled his eyes looking over at Casey for help. She was still staring at her mom, with what looked like begging eyes. She was the only one, besides Marti who had at least squealed, who hadn't said anything about the family trip. She was just smiling uncomfortably.

"Hello," Derek waved a hand in front of her face, her eyes immediately shooting to him. "Space Case, do you have a comment."

"I guess it's a good idea." She replied after shooting a glare at Derek.

"Then it's settled, we're leaving tonight to go stay in a hotel near the carnival so that we can get a head start on tomorrow's activities." Nora beamed, as she grabbed up the tickets and headed toward the kitchen. "Start packing!"


	3. The Wheels on the Bus

Chapter 3: The Wheels on the Bus...

"I can't believe this!" Lizzie groaned. She was slumped back on Casey's bed, watching her older sister sort through the many clothes laid out on her bed.

"We might as well just suck it up and go, Liz." Casey sighed loudly, quite annoyed by her sister's complaining. As soon as George and Nora had dropped the bomb about leaving for the night to go to a carnival in the morning was borderline crazy. How they expected to pull everyone out of their weekend plans was a mystery. Casey had only been downstairs once to retrieve a pair of socks in the laundry room, only to discover her mom racing around the kitchen making sandwiches for the five hour trip.

"I know, but I was really planning on practicing my speech for the recycling club at school." Lizzie explained, only to be ushered off the bed so that Casey could spread out her large suitcase. "Why do you need so many clothes? We're only going to be there two nights."

"Trust me, for some odd reason I will need at least four outfits." Casey replied, quickly adding these clothes into the suitcase and trying to shove in a last pair of sandals. "Are you even done packing?"

"Yup, it took five minutes." When Casey gave her younger sister a look, the girl just shrugged in an innocent fashion. "Unlike you I don't need four outfits. Jeans and a t-shirt is all I need"

"Are you sure you're my sister?" Casey laughed, as she zipped up her bag and started toward the door. Lugging the bag out of the room and into the hallway where she could at least push the rest down the stairs.

"Of course _you_ would pack to the extreme." Derek scrutinized, as he exited his room, raising an eyebrow at the large pack.

"Well where's _your _luggage?" Casey snapped, continuing her pushing.

"This is it." He shrugged. Casey looked up at him, only to find him in the clothes he had went to school in, except for the leather jacket that now adorned his shoulders.

"_That_ is _all _you're bringing?" She couldn't believe it. Of course then again this was Derek she was talking about.

"Hey, this is all I need to make any girl fall head over heels." He smirked before picking up Casey's luggage easily and tromping down the stairs.

"Yeah right," She mumbled before her and Lizzie followed behind him.

When they entered the living room, Edwin was already splayed out on the couch inspecting a video game magazine, while his and Lizzie's, small duffel bags were already by the door. Derek lugged Casey's bag over there as well, setting it down with a huff. Lizzie had already taken her place, after moving Edwin's legs over, on the couch examining his magazine over his shoulder. Casey sat on the arm of it, letting out a sad sigh as she looked around her.

"Don't tell me your gonna cry, because we're going a way for the weekend?" Derek asked, plopping down on his chair. He looked up at her expectantly only to find that she looked close to tears. "Oh no, please don't!"

"No, that's not it." She wiped at her eyes uncomfortably, still making sure not to smear her perfectly put on make up. "This is just like our first vacation as a family, and it's already sucking."

"You can _not_ call this a vacation." He commented, going for the jokes so as to make her more annoyed and less sad. "It's like a trip to some Carnival with very little planning involved. I'm surprised you're not rushing around like Nora."

"What are you talking about Derek?" Nora asked, as she carried her own bag to the door, as well as a small cooler.

"Nothing," He mumbled, standing up when George entered the room the car keys already in his hands. "Hey dad, can I drive?"

"No." Was the older man's immediate response, to his son's question.

"You sure?" Derek pressed.

"Absolutely. Marti, get down here!" He yelled this last part.

"Coming." A small voice said, and a skipping Marti, in a pretty pink dress, came down the stairs dragging along a wheelie princess suitcase. "Smerek will you carry my princess bag?"

"I'm sorry, ask Edwin. I have to carry Casey's because she's too weak." He commented, lifting her bag up and opening the door. He was followed by George, who had grabbed the cooler from his wife.

"Edwin?" Marti turned to him, a pout already playing on her small features.

"Sorry, Lizzie's a weakling too." Edwin laughed, getting a smack from Lizzie, as he followed his brother and dad out the door the two duffels in hand. Lizzie was behind him, already chatting to him, about nothing in particular.

"Here, sweetie, I'll carry it." Casey offered reaching for the bag, but Marti pulled it out of her reach and toward the door.

"Never mind, I have it." Here voice sounded sad, but it could have just been a figment of the older girl's imagination.

"Are you ready, dear?" Nora asked, reaching for the emergency house key and placing under the welcome mat before ushering her daughter out of the house so they could put the house on lockdown.

"I guess." Casey replied, heading toward the car where Derek and Marti were already seated in the back in the midst of a tickling fight. Lizzie and Edwin were climbing into the captain's chairs, as George roared the old van's engine to life.

Nora squeezed Casey's shoulder's before the girl climbed into the back with Derek and Marti, still trying to calm down from the tickles. As soon as everyone was in the van they pulled out of the driveway, the sound of the van's engine the only noise surrounding the family. Casey was squashed in the middle between a Derek who was bobbing his head to his old cassette player, his ear plugs sounded as if old rock was coming from them. Loud rock. Marti was staring out of the window, sighing loudly every few minutes.

"Is there any music?" Marti finally asked, her high pitched voice ringing in Casey's ears.

"I don't know." Nora started to dig in the different consoles before lifting a cd case with cartoons covering it.

"Is that my car ride music?" Marti asked, leaning forward in her seat only to squeal upon noticing she was right.

"Car ride music?" Casey asked.

"Marti had Derek burn her a cd full of little kid songs for long car rides." Edwin explained, examining the dusty cd cover. "I can't believe someone found this thing; I thought we burned it years ago."

"Put it in! Put it in!" Marti screeched, jumping in her seat.

"Okay. Okay." Nora shushed placing the cd in the player. In seconds the car was full of kiddy music. "The Wheels on The Bus" being the first track.

Marti started to screech along in time with the music. Lizzie and Edwin already had their ears covered trying to talk over the loud music. George just groaned before rolling down his window in an attempt to drown out the music. Casey looked over to Derek, his head still bobbing slightly. Her mind reeled before she came across and idea. Pulling out his earphones, he quickly made to cover his ears as Marti screeching was still at top notch. He shot Casey a glare before shouting.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Either you endure this torture with me, or you share." She gave him his options, and without a moment's thought he dug another pair of earphone plugs from his pocket. He handed them over after plugging the one end into the other end of the cassette.

"But it's my music." He added before placing the plugs into his ears and bobbing his head in the time of the beat of the song on his player.

Casey joined him, with less bobbing and more the tapping of her finger on her knee. She leaned back in her seat closing her eyes. They snapped open however, when a large hand clamped onto her tapping hand. She looked over at Derek who quickly removed his hand and gave her a look saying to stop. She did, closing her eyes again, and tried to think of something else besides the fact that their knees kept brushing. His jeaned against her bare one.


End file.
